Fashion Has Heart helps vets fulfil design dreams

That’s the message that Samuel Ging, a Birmingham Seaholm graduate and Grand Valley State University senior, is working to promote with a group dedicated to working with veterans.

The group started the project when U.S. Navy veteran Daniel Michael Hyacinthe and artist designer Tyler Way observed how returning wounded veterans had no place to express themselves creatively.

They were approached by Corporal Josh Hoffman, a former U.S. Marine who was paralyzed and rendered speechless by a sniper’s bullet. Through his nurse and communicator, they discovered that Hoffman had always wanted to create a T-shirt.

Due to his severe injuries, the solution appeared to pair Hoffman with a designer to act as his arms, legs and hands to create the shirt design he always wanted to create but was physically unable to.

Through a variety of “Yes” or “No” questions in which Hoffman could shake or nod his head, Way gradually connected with Hoffman to understand his experience and desired message of his shirt design. Utilizing Hoffman’s complicated alphanumeric communication code, the two were able to finalize a T-shirt design. This pairing of a wounded hero with an artist sparked what would become the HERO series.

Soon thereafter, Fashion Has Heart began the annual HERO series design week. Each year, Fashion Has Heart invites five wounded veterans, one from each branch of the armed forces, to Grand Rapids to collaborate with graphic designers. The result: Apparel that embodies the personal struggles and triumphs of these veterans.

Founded in 2010, Fashion Has Heart is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization established to utilize the powerful mediums of art, design and fashion to support and benefit the wounded heroes who have sacrificed for American freedom. In addition to providing support for the creative expression process, the organization works to market each hero artist’s work to generate economic support for their future.

This fall, Fashion Has Heart will present a comprehensive collection of original art created by wounded veterans and their artist collaborators at The Forbes Galleries in Manhattan. This special event is made possible in partnership with Lockheed Martin, Kendall College of Art and Design, and Forbes. The exhibition will be on view Nov. 11 to Jan. 25, 2014. On the opening night, seven wounded veterans plan to attend to speak about their works and their lives. The exhibition comprises more than 20 works by artists from the HERO series.

When asked about Fashion Has Heart, Wallace Forbes said, “I first met Michael Hyacinthe, the founder of Fashion Has Heart, at a Navy Seabee Foundation fund-raising program that we had in the Forbes Galleries several years ago. I am a former Navy Civil Engineer Corp officer and had spent nearly five years with Seabee battalions and Mike had been a Navy Seabee. I have several of the shirts designed by the wounded veterans participating in his wonderfully supportive program. They are treasures!”

One of the hero and graphic designer teams features U.S. Marine Corporal Chris Stephenson, Grand Valley State University Seniors Laura Wilusz and Ging, a freelance web designer, photographer and videographer who works with local startups in the Grand Rapids area, pushing their multimedia viral.

Stephenson was motivated to serve his country ever since he was a child growing up watching Westerns and old military shows with his dad. While in high school, Sept. 11 happened and that was all the extra motivation Stephenson needed to enlist into the few, the proud, the Marines. While deployed in Iraq in 2005, Stephenson and his convoy were hit by an IED. He was thrown out of the vehicle and suffered severe injuries to his legs, arms, back and lungs while the others in his vehicle were killed by the impact.

Stephenson, Wilusz and Ging created “No Place Like Home,” which graphically portrays Corporal Stephenson’s heroic journey.

FYI

Fashion Has Heart is partnering with the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 8 to commemorate veterans. That night the Pistons play the Oklahoma City Thunder and three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant.

Fashion Has Heart will be featured during the game to highlight the HERO series and the impact it has on wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

They’ve been invited to be the benefactor of the night’s 50/50 Raffle. Fashion Has Heart will receive 20 percent of the dollar amount from raffle tickets sold, the Pistons-Palace Foundation will receive 30 percent, and the remaining 50 percent will be rewarded to the 50/50 raffle winner.

Fashion Has Heart needs 60 volunteers at the Nov. 8 game. Volunteers receive free parking, get to watch the fourth quarter with free food and drinks, receive four free tickets to a future Piston’s game and receive a free gift from the Detroit Pistons. If you would like to help spread awareness of Fashion Has Heart and the HERO series, share these heroes’ stories, and help raise funds to continue the work of the group, email ben@fashionhasheart.org.